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Speaking at a recent media appearance, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has refused to rule out the possibility of Joao Cancelo returning to the club amid talks of him continuing at Barcelona next season.
Guardiola and Cancelo had a falling out last year, leading to his loan exit, first to Bayern Munich in January 2023, before he arrived at Barcelona in the summer.
The Portuguese full-back had a mixed campaign in Catalonia, making some vital contributions as well as some costly errors, like in the games against PSG and Real Madrid.
Despite there being some reservations, new manager Hansi Flick and Barça are now on board with the idea of keeping Cancelo at the club next season, although a permanent move is not seen as affordable.
As such, the Blaugrana are once again working on a loan deal, but Guardiola has now claimed that a deal would be agreed only if it is seen as best for everyone.
“It has to be the best for everyone. We will sit down with both clubs. He is our player and, if an agreement is not reached, he will have to come back in pre-season,” said Guardiola, as quoted by Victor Navarro.
Guardiola not ruling out Cancelo returning to Man City. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
“If he wants to stay here [at Barcelona], and the clubs come to an agreement, it will be done again.”
Cancelo finished the 2023/24 season at Barcelona with a tally of four goals and five assists from 42 appearances in all competitions.
The 30-year-old showcased his versatility by playing at right-back and left-back as well as in midfield at times.
As mentioned earlier, there were some aspersions over his continuity after Xavi’s exit and Flick’s appointment as manager.
But now, everyone appears to be working towards the goal of keeping Cancelo at the club, albeit only on a loan deal as Barcelona are in no position to sign him permanently owing to their financial problems.
Source link : https://barcauniversal.com/guardiola-not-ruling-out-cancelos-man-city-return-amid-barcelona-continuity-talks/
Author : Michel Durant
Publish date : 2024-06-10 10:22:45
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